ISTHMIAN LEAGUE ROUND-UP - Witham get back to winning ways and Swifts are into the top two

ISTHMIAN LEAGUE ROUND-UP - Witham get back to winning ways and Swifts are into the top two

A SCOTT Kemp strike and a debut goal for Brandon McCarthy earned Witham Town a first BetVictor Isthmian League division north victory in more than a month.

Witham's previous league win had come at the end of October when they had beaten Felixstowe & Walton United at home but they returned to winning ways as they triumphed 2-1 at Soham Town Rangers to move up to 14th in the table.

Having seen Soham reduced to ten men by the 40th minute sending off of Matt Allan, Kemp put Witham ahead on 47 minutes and when McCarthy scored his first goal for the club on 81 minutes, they looked to have the points sewn up.

A late penalty for the hosts made it a nervy ending but Witham held on for a welcome three points.

There was also a win for Heybridge Swifts and it was a significant one for Karl Duguid's team as their 4-2 victory against Great Wakering Rovers at the Aspen Waite Arena moved them up to second in the table.

Swifts took control early as Alex Teniola gave them a second minute lead and Harrison Chatting doubled that with just five minutes gone.

Teniola went on to complete his hat-trick with strikes in the 74th and 89th minutes and even though Wakering found the target twice, it was Heybridge who who came away with the three points.

That wasn't the case for Coggeshall Town, though, as the Seedgrowers once again missed the chance to go top as they were held to a 1-1 draw at leaders Bury Town.

The Suffolk front-runners took the lead on 34 minutes with a strike by Cemal Ramadan and although Rob Harvey struck on 68 minutes to level, neither side was able to force a winner.

There was also a 1-1 draw in the premier division as Kem Izzet's Brightlingsea Regent picked up a point against visiting Cheshunt.

George Bugg scored his first goal for the R's since his move from Witham Town, but it was cancelled out by a Ryan Moss strike after the break in a game where neither side finished with 11 men on the pitch.

Regent had Charlie Turner sent off on 66 minutes, while Cheshunt lost Ibrahim Diallo to a red card on 67 minutes and they then had Zach Newton dismissed in the 89th minute to finish with just nine men.

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here